Freedom251 › Container Development Environments
Laradock

What Laradock is
Laradock is a Docker-based PHP development environment with pre-configured containers for PHP, MySQL, Redis, and more than 100 services. It is designed for Laravel and also supports Symfony, WordPress, Magento, Drupal, and plain PHP. Developers can enable only the services a project needs and configure them through a shared .env file. Listed options include NGINX, Apache, Caddy, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, Grafana, Jenkins, and Keycloak. Laradock also lists Ollama, LiteLLM, pgvector, and Qdrant for local AI and vector search. The project says it can run PHP versions 5.6 through 8.5 on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its guide places the web server on a frontend network, while PHP-FPM, databases, caches, queues, and search services use a backend network described as inaccessible from outside. A production image can be built with ./laradock ship for server or cloud deployment. Laradock was founded in 2015 and is free under the MIT license.
Who it suits
Laradock suits PHP developers running one or more projects who want configurable services in a shared Docker setup. It supports Laravel and several other PHP frameworks and applications across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What it does well
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Supports PHP versions 5.6 through 8.5
- Provides more than 100 configurable services
- Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Supports production image deployment with ./laradock ship
What to know first
- Requires Git and Docker
- Docker Compose 2.20 or newer is required
- Configuration uses a shared .env file
- Primarily a developer environment, not a hosted service
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free and open-source under the MIT license | Free |
As laradock.io lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Laradock website
- Install Git
- Install Docker with Docker Compose v2.20 or newer
- Clone or obtain the Laradock project
- Enable required services and configure the shared .env file
- Run the compose workflow for the project
Verdict
Laradock offers a broad, configurable container setup for PHP projects without a license cost. Its Docker and Compose requirements mean users must manage the local development environment themselves.
Questions
How much does Laradock cost?
Laradock is free, with a Free plan priced at $0. It is free and open-source under the MIT license.
Which operating systems are supported?
Laradock runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports self-hosted use.
Which PHP frameworks does it support?
It is designed for Laravel and also supports Symfony, WordPress, Magento, Drupal, and plain PHP.
What services are available?
The environment includes PHP, MySQL, Redis, and more than 100 services, including NGINX, Apache, Caddy, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, Grafana, Jenkins, and Keycloak.
Can it run AI tools locally?
Yes. Listed local components include Ollama, LiteLLM, pgvector, and Qdrant.
How can production deployment be handled?
Laradock documents building a production image with ./laradock ship for deployment to a server or cloud.
Facts from Laradock's own pages
- Configuration
- Services can be enabled as needed and configured through a shared .env file. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The site describes building a production image with ./laradock ship for deployment to a server or cloud. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2015 · laradock.io, 28 Sept 2026
- Framework support
- It is designed for Laravel and also supports Symfony, WordPress, Magento, Drupal, and plain PHP. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Listed services include NGINX, Apache, Caddy, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, Grafana, Jenkins, and Keycloak. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The site presents Laradock as an environment for PHP developers who want to run one or more projects with configurable services across a shared setup. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Local AI
- The site lists Ollama, LiteLLM, pgvector, and Qdrant for running AI and vector search locally. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Operating systems
- Laradock describes the same environment as working on Linux, macOS, and Windows. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- PHP versions
- The site says Laradock can run PHP versions 5.6 through 8.5. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Laradock provides a Docker-based PHP development environment with pre-configured containers for PHP, MySQL, Redis, and more than 100 services. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Getting started requires Git and Docker with Docker Compose v2.20 or newer. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- The getting-started guide says the web server faces the frontend network while PHP-FPM, databases, caches, queues, and search services live on a backend network described as out of reach from outside. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The help page directs users to open an issue, ask the community, email the project, or follow its security policy for vulnerabilities. · laradock.io, 8 Oct 2026
Where Laradock stands on Freedom251
- Container Development Environments#17 of 40